The Year of the Rat (2008)

Chinese New Year falls on different days each year, usually between January and February. This is because its calculation is based on the lunar and solar movements. This year, Chinese New Year falls on the 7th February, which is a Thursday. Since Malaysians enjoy two days of official holidays, it’s going to be a four day bonanza.

Also known as the Lunar New Year, its origin dates back to 2600 BC and is the oldest chronological calendar. It was launched by Emperor Huang Ti, the first emperor to unite the whole of China. If you visit Xian and the Bing Ma Yong, you will see the grave of this great but dreaded emperor.

A complete cycle of the Lunar New Year takes 60 years of five cycles of 12 years each. Each year is based on one of the twelve animals and this year is the Year of the Rat. This means that if you are born in the Year of the Rat and happen to meet someone also born in this animal year, you can roughly gauge his/her age, using the number twelve as the basis of your calculation.

Previous Rat Years include : 1924 1936 1948 1960 1972 1984 1996

Tangerine Shrubs, Pussy Willows and Chinese New Year

These are favorites during the Chinese New Year and right now you can find them in the malls as well as the wet markets.
The tangerine shrub (kum kwat) with its green leaves, studded orange tangerines is symbolic of wealth. There is a play of sound here. In Cantonese, the word kum sounds like gold . And of course, everything green is related to life and prosperity.

The pussy willow with tall erect branches and furry catkins are usually placed in a deep, large vase and decorated with red packets or other Chinese New Year decor. Should leaves appear during the Chinese New Year, that would a sign of prosperity.

Trust God for your fortune

There are two anchor tenants in the Pavilion and they are Parksons and Tang’s. I think Tang’s is part of the Singapore CK Tang group. When I entered the Tang’s, a pretty lady in red qipao presented me with a mandarin orange and a fortune cookie. Somehow, fortune cookies are not part of the Malaysian Chinese scene but it’s very much part of the culture of American Chinese, made even more famous, by the novel, Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan and other novels with American Chinese settings.

Quite amused by the fortune cookie, I opened it up and lo and behold, the biscuit was in the shape of ancient Chinese money. Trust the Chinese. Everything during Chinese New Year has to have some association with wealth, and wealth and more wealth! As I crunched into the biscuit, out came the strip of “fortune.” It says “Your desires will come true.” Halleluyah ! Who wouldn’t like to hear that? I added “Amen” to it.

String Quartet for the Spring Festival Celebration

Yesterday, I went to the Pavilion, my second visit to the newest shopping mall in the city. It’s all fluffed up for the Chinese New Year. The auspicious red color was on its grand stage, right at its entrance. The stage area is also known as the Pavilion Circle.

Gigantic peony decorations hang from its high ceilings. But the best treat was the performance by a string quartet of three ladies and a guy. The guy played the mandolin. The flute, guzheng, pipa and mandolin in the hands of these expert musicians produced the most haunting, nostalgic, melodious music that transported those familiar with such music to an era of the days of kings and princes, enjoying such music on their palace grounds or on a rocking boat.

I remember my Chinese girl friends in Beijing. Some of them signed up for art or guzheng classes, partly I suspect, because they knew of foreigners’ fascination with these subjects. Then I remember, too, my student, Cai Xu, who gave me a cassette on traditional music.

I tried to confirm if the quartet was imported from China, but I couldn’t get through those in charge at the Pavilion. I believe, they are. They are five star performers! Their renditions of Chinese New Year favorites as well as movie hits evoked such warm memories of my sojourn in China. Thanks! I wish you all, a wonderful year of success in your music career as well as in your health!!

Origin of Lunar New Year

In the old, old days, Chinese villagers were oppressed by a monster called nian that would gobble up human beings for meals.
Finally, a wise, old man confronted the monster, challenging it to eat animals instead of humans. The old man succeeded and rode off in triumph on the back of the nian but not before leaving advice to the villagers to celebrate the victory with red hangings. The red packet, the money gift that is given on Chinese New Year is part of the celebration. Check my other blog, http://prayerconversations.blogspot.com for the Biblical connection to this account.

SMS Text Messages

Making a thousand friends a year is not a miracle. The MIRACLE is to have you like a friend who stands by me for a THOUSAND reasons.

A woman has strengths that amaze men. She can handle trouble and carry heavy burdens. She holds happiness, love and opinions. She smiles when she feels like screaming. She sings when she feels like crying, cries when she’s happy and laughs when she’s afraid. Her love is unconditional! There’s only one thing wrong with her, she sometimes forgets what she’s worth.


You may have received similar text messages on your cell phone. You know they are not original but they still have the power to touch the heart, coming from the right person.

Is this new technology taking over from the traditional way of expressing appreciation and best wishes? It looks like the new technology is here to stay. With the coming Chinese New Year, I wonder how many text messages will go out. The China Daily reported as astonishing 60,000 million text messages last Chinese New Year. What kind of messages would the Year of the Rat convey? I'm sure we're all keen to find out.